Process for sterilizing packaged textile articles.



JOHN HOWARD WAY AND ALBEN WARREN WAY, OF ST. D'AVIDS, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID JOHN HOWARD WAY ASSIGNOB T0 SAID ALBEN WARREN WAY.

PROCESS FOR STERILIZING PACKAGED TEXTILE ABTICLES.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN HOWARD WAY and ALBEN WARREN WAY, both of St. Davids, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have jointly invented a certain new and useful Process for Sterilizing Packaged Textile Articles, whereof the following is a specification.

Our process is especially directed toward the sterilization of articles intended for hu man wear, such as underwear, hosiery, mufflers, sweaters, gloves, and articles of clothing generally, which are liable to. carry germs injurious to health. Thus, the yarn or other material from which they are made, may be initially impregnated with germs, or during the actual course of manufacture of the articles therefrom, they may become thus impregnated. Furthermore, even though the articles be disinfected individually, or in bulk, after they have been completed, it is quite possible that during the packaging they may become infected with germs carried by the atmosphere, or derived from contact with the persons of those who handle and pack them.

We have found by careful experiments and tests that after an article of this character has been completely inclosed in an ultimate package, suitable for commercial handling, and of such character as to be practically impervious to the passage of germs, whether carried by the air or derived from contact with persons or objects, the said article may be sterilized within such final package itself, so that it shall come to the purchaser in an absolutely safe condition, notwithstanding exposure to disease germs down to the time when the package was finally closed.

In carrying out our process in the most efficient manner, we prefer to proceed as follows: After the article has been finished, and is ready for packing, it is inclosed in an envelop suitable for commercial handling, such as a sack of paper, which is so sealed as to have no open joint or exposed aperture of substantial size.

We prefer to use paper of the kind commercially known as glazed parchment, or Pecoy tissue, which we have found to be penetrable by the sterilizing reagent about to be described, under the conditions of treatment hereinafter set forth, but which, however, is substantially impervious to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, jlWLfi.

Application filed April 4, 1914. Serial No. 829,437.

subsequent passage of germs into the nterior of the package. The sealing may be effected by the use of a paste not liable to be destroyed at the temperature to which the package is to be subjected in the subsequent treatment, or may be accomplished by effective inter-folding and pinching of the edges of the opening of the package together, but we prefer that the package should be absolutely sealed by pasting.

After inclosure of the article in the envelop, and the sealing of the latter, (the package thus formed being one adapted for ultimate shipment), the packaged article is inserted in a closed chamber, preferably large enough to receive a considerable number of packages which may even be in contact with one another. The temperature is raised to about 240 degrees F., and by suit able exhausting apparatus, the air is exhausted from said chamber at a moderate rate, so as not to burst the envelop through excess of internal pressure, the exhaustion being continued preferably until a pressure of about fifteen inches of mercury is obtained within the chamber. Thereupon the sterilizing reagent, preferably formaldehyde vapor, is injected into the chamber, the admission being so controlled as to prevent the carrying over of any liquid, and so as to avoid injury to the package by a too forcible impingement of the stream of entering vapor. The amount of formaldehyde vapor admitted is preferably less than that which would restore the pressure within the chamber tonormal.

The packages are exposed to the formaldehydevapor for a period of about fortyfive minutes, preferably without diminution of the temperature above stated, an exposure of this duration having been found sufficient to insure penetration of the sterilizing reagent through the pores of paper of the character referred to, and the permeation of an ordinary textile article to such an extent as to destroy any disease germs of the character which such articles are liable to carry. Thereafter the chamber is again ex hausted for the purpose of withdrawing to a substantial extent, the formaldehyde vapor, the exhaustion being continued preferably down to a pressure of about fifteen inches of mercury, after which atmospheric air at about the temperature mentioned, may be permitted to enter the chamber, at a mod the human skin. In cases where it is necessary to provide for these two conditions, we prefer to subject the packaged article to a further treatment as follows: Instead of admitting the atmospheric air, immediately after the conclusionof the exposure to formaldehyde vapor and the withdrawal of the. latter in the manner above stated, we

admit non-aqueous ammonia vapor to the partly exhausted chamber, and expose the article to the ammonia for a short time, preferably about thirty seconds. Thereafter the chamber is again exhausted, preferably down to a pressure of about fifteen inches of mercury, and finally heated atmospheric air is admitted, as in the instance first stated.

While the formaldehyde vapor is prima rily, and perhaps entirely, the sterilizing reagent, we have found it desirable to employ the subsequent ammonia treatment, be cause the ammonia appears to have the capacity to penetrate the inclosing package, and to combine with or so modify the formaldehyde, as to obviate any injurious effect upon the human skin, in case traces should remain in the article. Furthermore, it appears to act, either by combining or displacement, in the direction ofminimizing any disagreeable odor, which might otherwise be due to remaining traces of the formaldehyde.

We have found that by the foregoing treatment, either with or without the ammonia step, a most complete sterilization can be effected, notwithstanding the physical inclosure of the article in a package, which is thereafter practically impervious to the entrance of disease germs, and, furthermore, that no injurious effect is occasioned upon any of the dyes of which articles of the character mentioned are commercially dyed at the present time.

lVhile we have stated that the article is preferably inclosed in a complete envelop, such as a sack of paper, we do not mean to restrict ourselves to a homogeneous envelop, since, for instance, a paste-board box, having a top covered by paper, sealed around the edges, could be employed for packing articles, either singly or in bulk, the partial transparency of the paper mentioned being well adapted for such a package, in that it attractively presents the article for sale.

It is sufficient for our purposes, that the inclosure shall be what may be called the ultimate one, so far as the article is concerned, in the sense that such article is not to be subjected to direct handling after the sterilizing process, the only essential conditions being that the nature of the envelop shall be such as to on the one hand, exclude the subsequent entrance of germs, and on the other hand, shall be permeable to the sterilizing reagent, within the time, and under the conditions reasonably possible for commercial practice. Furthermore, while we have specified formaldehyde vapor as the sterilizing reagent preferably employed, we do not mean to necessarily limit our claims thereto, since the formalin which we believe to be the effective agent, might obviously be employed with some other vehicle adapted to penetrate the package, and permeate the inclosed article, the only conditions being that the reagent should be an effective sterilizer, as against all germs of the character to which such articles are liable to be exposed; that it should have no deleterious effect upon the article itself or the dyes; and that it should be of such character as to be substantially displaceable within a reasonable time, and reasonable limits of treatment.

Having thus described our invention, we wish it to be understood that we do not broadly claim the use of formaldehyde, either alone or followed by ammonia, as a means of sterilization. The importance and novelty of our process lie in our discovery that notwithstanding the inclosure of a textile article in a package which is practically germ-proof, and which apparently would not lend itself with any readiness to the penetration of a sterilizing reagent, such article can be economically and thoroughly sterilized, when thus finally packaged for commercial use, and is not to be subjected to further direct handling.

l/Ve would also state that our process is in no way dependent upon the character of the apparatus employed, since any of the well known types of sterilizing apparatus which are adapted to permit exhaustion of a heated compartment, and subsequent re'c'ntry of air or vapor into such compartment, are available for the purpose.

We claim:

1. The hereinbefore described process of sterilizing packaged textile articles, which consists in, inclosing the article in an envelop of a character substantially impervious to the passage of disease germs, but permeable by the hereinafter described sterilizing reagent; partially withdrawing the air from the interior of such package, and heating the package; introducing a formalin-carrying vapor into the interior of the package; substantially withdrawing said vapor and admitting the air to the interior of the package; said successive operations being so controlled as to preserve the integrity of said envelop, substantially as set forth.

2. The hereinbefore described process of sterilizing packaged textile articles, Which consists in inclosing the article in an envelop of a character substantially impervious to the passage of disease germs, but permeable by the hereinafter described reagents; partially WithdraWing the air from the interior of such package, and heating the package; introducing a formalin-carrying vapor into the interior of the package; substantiallyWithdrawing said vapor, by

15 exhaustion Within an inclosed chamber; in-

troducing non-aqueous ammonia vapor into the interior of the package; and substantially Withdrawing the ammonia vapor, and admitting air to the interior of the package, said successive operations being so controlled as to preserve the integrity of said envelop, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto signed our names at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this third day of April, 1914.

JOHN HOWARD WAY. ALBEN WARREN WAY. Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON.

maples of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 01' Patents. Washington, I). G. 

